If you’re like most people with easy access to a computer and the internet, you probably spend a few hours each day surfing the web, checking out the latest sports results, news feeds, or celebrity gossip line. Instead, put some of those free hours into cyberstudy, and improve your vocabulary with targeted exercises and research on some of the many sites available to the general public related to vocabulary and word-building skills. Here are several useful sites that can help you improve your vocabulary:

www.FreeRice.com

We’ve talked about this site before, but it’s worth repeating, given that this is one of the best on-line sites for quick, fun, word-definition quizzes. The vocabulary choices run towards the obscure sometimes, but since these obscure words often appear on the higher-level examinations you may be studying for (such as the GRE or the SAT), it’s worth your time to click on this site – especially because each time you get a word right, a small donation is made towards the World Food Programme and their campaign to end hunger. There’s both personal and philanthropic motivation to use this site!

In addition, since the Free Rice site started, they’ve expanded beyond just an English-vocabulary quiz game, and now have quiz categories in English grammar and basic math, both of which are helpful for review if you’re studying for the SAT or the PSAT. It’s a fun, educational, and beneficial way to spend a few minutes (or more) every day.

www.OED.com

The world standard for English dictionaries, the Oxford English Dictionary, has several sites that you’ll find useful. While on-line access to the full OED requires a subscription, you can freely browse the main OED site for the latest news, interesting commentaries on word origins, and quizzes and learning tools. The main OED site has links to their other associated sites, such as AskOxford, which give you expanded resources and search capabilities.

www.Etymologic.com

In previous posts, we’ve discussed the importance of studying word roots to help you learn and remember related words. For example, knowing that the Latin word scribere means “to write,” you’ll have a better idea what the words subscribe and scribble might mean. The Etymologic site gives you an opportunity to explore word origins with humorous (and challenging!) quizzes.

Do you have a favorite on-line vocabulary resource? Leave your suggestions in the comments.